Fabric for athletic belts.



L. 'A'. FRITSGH. FABRIC FOR ATHLETIC BELTS. APPLIOATION'IILED PEB.5. 1912.

1, 1 1 9,944. Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

FREE

a jockey strap,

LEWIS A. FRITSCH, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

FABRIC FOB ATHLETIC BELTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed February 5, 1912. Serial No. 675,838.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS A. Fnrrscrr, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric for Athletic Belts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fabrics for use in the athletic belts which ordinarily are termed jockey straps.

The object of the invention is to provide a fabric, which is adapted to the particular needs of the pouch or bandage portion of namely, which will afford the proper support with the least discom fort to the wearer.

In order-to disclose the nature of my invention, and the manner of its use, I have illustrated it in use in a belt which consists of a circular elastic band or strap 4, a pouch or bandage portion 5, which is substantially V shaped and is secured along its upper edge to the strap 4, and at its lower end or apex to elastic back straps 6 and 7, which extend rearwardly and upwardly and are secured at their rear ends to the strap 4 as is customary with such belts.

The pouch or bandage portion 5 embodies my present invention and, as illustrated, is formed of specially knit material of such character that the pouch is capable of yielding or stretching sufficiently to conform to the shape of the parts supported by it and yet is capable of holding the parts in the proper positions without binding or exerting too much pressure on them. This is accomplished along the converging edges of the bag and by providing a peculiar stitch for forming the central or supporting portion of the bandage. The elastic converging edges of the portion 5 are reinforced by rubber or other elastic strips 8 which are suitably threaded through the fabric so that they are held in place on it. A comparatively wide margin 9 is formed along each elastic edge, which is so formed that it is capable of being greatly extended in a direction parallel to the edge but will yield acomparatively small amount in a direction at right angles to the edge.

The selvage 8 is of a plain knit interwoven with rubber strands. Sections 9 are a plain knit stitch. Sections 13 are a plain knit stitch crossed every third course. In

by providing an elastic selvage sections 12 there is one course of plain stitch, one course of tucked stitch crossed to the left, and then one course of plain stitch. In sections 11 there is one course of plain stitch, one course tucked stitch crossed to-the right, and one course of plain stitch. Between each of the sections 12 and its adjacent sections there is one tucked stitch crossed and then reversed. The knitting is a continuous operation starting with the selvage 8, then one of the sections 9, then the adjacent section 13, then the section 12, then section 11, and then the remaining sections 12, 13, 9 and the salvage 8 successively.

A belt of the character illustrated provided with a fabric formed as described and having the elastic selyage is particularly effective, since this elastic holds the edge of the fabric against the body, and the central portion of the fabric yieldiugly holds the parts, supported by it, in the proper positions.

In the'drawings I have illustrated the bandage 5 as provided with two converging sections 13 of porous structure which extend substantially parallel to the selvagc edges of the bandage and located between the marginal sections 9 and the tucking weave sections 10.

The sections 13, like the strips 10 are formed continuously with the remainder of the cloth and are of an open mesh and flimsy structure which is capable of readily conforming to the shape of the parts supported by the portion 5, and also provides a circulation of air to the parts covered by the belt. It will be noted that the sections 13 are located at the points where the circulation is most effective and also where the least supporting force is needed. In addition to this the location is such as to permit the more substantial sections 10 to bulge outwardly to form a bag-like pouch which is fullest about a third of the way up from the apex ofthe portion 5.

In the drawings I have shown the portion 5 provided with a non-extensible piece of tape 14 which is secured to the cloth and projects forwardly from the apex midway between the converging edges. This tape is provided for thepurpose of stiffening and strengthening the lower end of the portion 5 and for insuring a better connection between it and the back straps 6 and 7 The difiiculties encountered with most belts of the character described is that, they do not combine the necessary qualifications so as to produce a belt, which is at once cornfortable and effective in operation. If the pouch portions 5 of the belts are substantial enough to provide the proper supporting qualities they are usually non-porous an are not capable of conforming to the shape of the parts supported; and if they are capable of conforming to the shape of the parts supported they are so flimsy that they are ineffective as supports.

The combination of the elastic selvage, the marginal strips 9-which are capable of yielding longitudinally, more than they are capable of yielding laterally, and the open mesh flimsy structure of the strips 13, in connection with the strips l0of substantial weave, produces an athletic belt, which combines the necessary qualities of such a belt and does not possess any of the objectionable features.

In accordance with the patent statutes l[ have illustrated the preferred formof' my invention and described its construction and its principal features, but I desire it to be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be made Without departing from the spirit and the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What 11 claim is:

1. A fabric comprising an elastic selvage and a central portion formed of a series of sections between which is a tuck stitch iliane-e tions being crossed in the opposite direction from which the tuck stitching in the other two sections are crossed.

3. A fabric comprising elastic selvage, marginal sections adjacent the selvage and composed of plain knit stitches, and a central portion consisting of a series of sections each section of said series being composed of alternating courses of plain stitches and tuck stitches.

4. A fabric comprising elastic selvage, marginal sections adjacent the selvage and composed of plain knit stitches, a central portion consisting of three sections each of the sections of the central portion being made of alternating courses of plain stitches and tuck stitches, the tuck stitches of the central of said courses being crossed in a direction opposite to the direction inwhich the cross stitches of the other of said sections are crossed, and the sections of said central portion being connected by a tuck stitch crossed and then reversed.

LEWIS A. rnrrscn. Witnesses WALTER 1F. MURRAY, H. Tnonn'ron Bosnn'r. 

